Animal rescue, petting zoo operator charged with animal cruelty

Stacy Fiebelkorn Stacy Fiebelkorn, 44, is charged with a misdemeanor count of cruelty to animals and one count of failing to provide proper care and shelter. (Kane County Sheriff)

An Elgin woman operating an animal rescue mission and petting zoo has been charged with animal cruelty after Kane County authorities discovered dead and seriously ill pets on two farms, police said Wednesday.

Kane County animal control officials have taken on the care and medical treatment of more than 90 farm animals, after finding several dead animals, some seriously ill and all lacking access to water, at a farm near Maple Park and another near Hampshire.

Police have charged the animals’ owner, Stacy Fiebelkorn, 44, of the 1000 block of Borden Avenue in Elgin, with a misdemeanor count of cruelty to animals and one count of failing to provide proper care and shelter.

Fiebelkorn is the operator of the Mini Zoo Crew, a petting zoo and rescue organization, police said. A website for the organization offers pony rides and a child’s petting zoo. On another site, the organization solicits funds to support its animal rescue mission.

“We are a small rescue trying to pay it forward,” said a posting on the website, which said it was created by Fiebelkorn. “Our focus and goal is to show these amazing animals the love and kindness they deserve after the mistreatment they didn't deserve.”

But officials say the animals in her care needed attention, and Fiebelkorn might have been overwhelmed.

“Maybe it started with a noble idea, but it’s not cheap to take care of that many animals,” Kane County sheriff’s Lt. Pat Gengler said Wednesday.Kane County Animal Control began an investigation last week after it received a report of a dead horse on a farm on Beith Road near Maple Park. Investigators found the animal’s remains, as well as the remains of a horse fetus, Gengler said. Investigators learned that Fiebelkorn owned the horse and had other animals at a farm along Illinois Route 20 near Hampshire.

When officials arrived with a search warrant, they found dead animals, including a donkey, a goat, two mini-horses and four chickens. They also found other severely ill pets and a lack of adequate food and water.“All the water was completely frozen,” Gengler said.

Animal control officials have taken over the care of the animals, which include goats and chickens, mini-horses, horses, donkeys and a number of caged rabbits, Gengler said. Their ultimate disposition could be decided by the courts, he said.

Kane court records show that Fielbelkorn was cited 20 times in July 2008 for “failure of owners’ duties,” an animal-related ordinance violation, and three counts of violating the rabies ordinance. The records do not have additional details, though they said the violations were “stricken with leave to reinstate,” which usually indicates the violation was corrected.